All aspects of health have never been more important to Canadians, and Sun Life is showing it has the tools and expertise that will give Canadians the confidence to tackle all three.

The message comes through in a 30-second spot – its first by new agency Publicis – which shows a confident woman thinking over things that are top of mind for many Canadians right now, such as: “I want to save more to secure my future…I want to keep my family healthy and safe.” But due to her conviction, helped by the fact that she’s a Sun Life client, she removes (and at one point kicks) the word “want” out of those statements.

https://youtu.be/IYBf8dwpVP0

Sun Life “gets” Canadians to where they want to be in multiple ways, according to Milos Vranesevic, SVP and CMO at Sun Life, namely through its roster of advisors.

“Just having that access, it’s a really great opportunity for Canadians to feel stronger about their future,” he says.

But the company is also combining that human expertise with more innovative tools and service. For example, in March, the brand rolled out its Lumino Health Virtual Care service, which gives employees of a company that has benefits with Sun Life free access to virtual health care services.

Focusing on the intersection of financial, physical and mental health is “on brand” for Sun Life, Vranesevic notes. In 2018, the brand launched its “True Wealth” campaign, which highlighted how “true wealth” comes from not only financial success and stability, but also from enjoying a long and healthy life. Vranesevic calls the new “Let’s Get You There” campaign “an evolution” from the “True Wealth” campaign, not necessarily a change. 

“Health has become a more pronounced part of our offering – and virtual healthcare in particular,” he says. “But it’s hard to have good mental and physical health if you don’t have financial security. We’re showing people that intersection even more clearly, reminding them of what we have to offer and inspiring people to feel like they’ve got some say in it. Instead of the forces around them make it harder to feel like they have confidence or control.”

Ipsos recently conducted a survey for Sun Life, the results of which suggest that nearly half of all Canadians (45%) feel less financially secure since the pandemic began. Among the sizeable number of people who say their mental health has been impacted by COVID-19, 44% say “financial stress” is the main factor.

Vranesevic says the framing of this campaign, and the campaign strategy, was the same as when the brand envisioned it prior to the pandemic. He says COVID-19 has just “underscored” the importance and timing of coming out with this kind of holistic message.

“Let’s Get You There” is a fully-integrated campaign, with national TV ads alongside paid digital and social. Cossette Media handled the media buy.